Today was the day of the museum. From 10:30 a.m. until sundown, we hit nearly every museum in Old Quebec (Vieux Quebec). I can't remember a time my legs were so sore.
But it was so worth it.
My favorite museum, which was also the museum I was most looking forward to seeing on this trip, was la Musee de l'Amerique Francophone--the Museum of French-Speaking America. It was one of the coolest museums I've ever seen, and the thing I loved most was the exhibit on les Acadiens. I love that story, tragic as it is, because of the Longfellow poem, Evangeline. It's a love story, and no one tells the story better (sorry Longfellow) than French-Canadian singer Marie-Jo Theriot. The version below has handy English subtitles:
Tucked neatly inside la Musee de l'Amerique Francophone is a beautiful chapel, one that used to be used for "practice" Masses by priests-in-training from la Seminaire de Quebec (inside which the museum is located).
Stained glass window within the chapel
The marble altar of the chapel, saved from the chapel's many fires over the years
One of the many reliquaries -- the chapel holds over 600 relics!
The chapel. Just to the left of this photo was the tomb of St. Francois de Laval, first bishop of Quebec. His body is no longer entombed there, but there's a neat plaque that says that Pope John Paul II visited there to pray back in the 80s. Gotta love JPII.
After the museum, we headed over the seminary for a tour. I didn't take any photos here, partly out of respect and partly because I was too busy being amazed at the history of the place. They built onto the seminary little by little over the centuries, so going through the building is like taking a trip through time.
After that, it was off to la Musee de la Civilisation for the Greek and Roman exhibit--tons of statues, pottery, and military gear from antiquity on loan from a museum in Berlin. To get there, we walked past Chateau Frontenac, down the steep and winding streets to Place Royale.
Chateau Frontenac
Inside the main gate of Chateau Frontenac
View from outside Chateau Frontenac
Chateau Frontenac peaking over the trees on our way down to Place Royale.
View of Chateau Frontenac from the lower city. Isn't it beautiful?
Street in the lower city.
We took the funicular back up the hill--by this time, my feet were shot.
Tomorrow, we're heading out of town to see the Montmorency Falls and the shrine at St. Anne de Beaupre. So it'll be another active one...better get some sleep.
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